| Congratulations!!! To Sharon E Freeman, PhD, APRN-CS for being named "TOP DOC" in the category Psychiatry for Northeast Indiana 2006! |
Latest Issue February 12, 2006
Cover Story:
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the quantity of physicians in northeast Indiana. There are so many to choose from;
how can you know which one is right for you? Aside from visiting each one, use our Top Docs listing to help you
discover which specialist is right for you or your loved ones.
We asked the advice of more than 5,000 physicians and nurses to find out which specialist they would choose to care
for their loved ones. We sent out nomination forms to licensed doctors and registered nurses in northeast Indiana,
including the counties of Allen, Adams, DeKalb, Grant, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells and
Whitley.
These survey recipients were obtained from the Indiana State Health Professions Bureau, which maintains lists of
licensed physicians and registered nurses. As a guideline we utilized the specialties that are certified by the American
Board of Medical Specialties. Survey recipients were asked to nominate doctors who they believe to be the best in their
field and to take in account professional qualifications, reputations and skills in dealing with patients.
We included 40 common specialties in this survey and constructed a list based on the results. Every doctor listed
received among the top 15- percent of the votes in his or her specialty. The doctors' names are listed in order of
highest number of votes received. Some specialties list more doctors than others; this is a result of the voting
numbers. We also listed additional information including contact information, hospital affiliations and subspecialties for
each doctor.
To ensure the accuracy of our listing we verified every doctor's name, office, phone number, hospital affiliation and
subspecialty. If N/A is listed, then the information does not apply to that particular doctor or was not provided.
If you look at the list and do not see your doctor, please do not be alarmed. Many factors could have contributed to
your doctor's absence. However, if you are new to the area, looking for a second opinion or seeking a specialist, this
list can be your guide.
We selected 14 of the Top Docs to highlight. These doctors received the star treatment with photographs and
interviews. As patients walked in and out of offices, they looked on wondering what was going on, when in fact, their
doctors were receiving a high recognition.
Dr. Sharon Morgillo Freeman
Center for Brief Therapy
When Dr. Freeman found out she was a 2006 Top Doc, she was blown away by the recognition. She works with two
collaborating psychiatrists, Dr. Ronald Pancer and Dr. Prevesh Rustagi, whom she thinks are the Top Docs of psychiatry.
"My practice wouldn't be what it is without the two of them," says Dr. Freeman. "They are the best psychiatrists in Fort
Wayne."
Dr. Freeman has spent over twenty years as a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist, and her practice is similar to that of a
psychiatrist. She focuses more on psychotherapy and integrates information from schools, families, medical records and
family physicians to create a clinical package for her patients.
In psychiatry, progress can take several weeks. "It's sort of like watching a flower unfold," describes Dr. Freeman. "You
have to wait for each petal to open and then you have the whole picture of what you were waiting for all that time.
When someone who has been feeling miserable begins to feel like themselves again, it makes everything worthwhile."
Dr. Freeman met her husband, Dr. Arthur Freeman, when she hired him to do a conference in Fort Wayne. Dr. Freeman
jokes, "He got paid and received a wife as a bonus!"
Married a little over eight years, the Freemans are the best of friends and their relationship is both professionally and
personally rewarding. Since they are in the same profession, they are able to bounce ideas off of each other. And
when each has a chapter due, the other can finish it as a co-author.
Dr. Freeman has so much on her plate; she travels, teaches and writes, and is president elect of the National
Association for Addiction Professionals. Along with those activities, she also has eight grandchildren who get top
priority. At age 13, Dr. Freeman says she had plans to become a veterinarian. But at 20, she already had her first child
and was expecting another. "I didn't think I had what it took to be a professional," she says, "but this was 30 years
ago."
Today, she is proving her younger self wrong. She is content with her career choice and couldn't imagine doing
anything else. Dr. Freeman is humbled by her Top Docs recognition.
Cover Story:
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the quantity of physicians in northeast Indiana. There are so many to choose from;
how can you know which one is right for you? Aside from visiting each one, use our Top Docs listing to help you
discover which specialist is right for you or your loved ones.
We asked the advice of more than 5,000 physicians and nurses to find out which specialist they would choose to care
for their loved ones. We sent out nomination forms to licensed doctors and registered nurses in northeast Indiana,
including the counties of Allen, Adams, DeKalb, Grant, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells and
Whitley.
These survey recipients were obtained from the Indiana State Health Professions Bureau, which maintains lists of
licensed physicians and registered nurses. As a guideline we utilized the specialties that are certified by the American
Board of Medical Specialties. Survey recipients were asked to nominate doctors who they believe to be the best in their
field and to take in account professional qualifications, reputations and skills in dealing with patients.
We included 40 common specialties in this survey and constructed a list based on the results. Every doctor listed
received among the top 15- percent of the votes in his or her specialty. The doctors' names are listed in order of
highest number of votes received. Some specialties list more doctors than others; this is a result of the voting
numbers. We also listed additional information including contact information, hospital affiliations and subspecialties for
each doctor.
To ensure the accuracy of our listing we verified every doctor's name, office, phone number, hospital affiliation and
subspecialty. If N/A is listed, then the information does not apply to that particular doctor or was not provided.
If you look at the list and do not see your doctor, please do not be alarmed. Many factors could have contributed to
your doctor's absence. However, if you are new to the area, looking for a second opinion or seeking a specialist, this
list can be your guide.
We selected 14 of the Top Docs to highlight. These doctors received the star treatment with photographs and
interviews. As patients walked in and out of offices, they looked on wondering what was going on, when in fact, their
doctors were receiving a high recognition.
Dr. Sharon Morgillo Freeman
Center for Brief Therapy
When Dr. Freeman found out she was a 2006 Top Doc, she was blown away by the recognition. She works with two
collaborating psychiatrists, Dr. Ronald Pancer and Dr. Prevesh Rustagi, whom she thinks are the Top Docs of psychiatry.
"My practice wouldn't be what it is without the two of them," says Dr. Freeman. "They are the best psychiatrists in Fort
Wayne."
Dr. Freeman has spent over twenty years as a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist, and her practice is similar to that of a
psychiatrist. She focuses more on psychotherapy and integrates information from schools, families, medical records and
family physicians to create a clinical package for her patients.
In psychiatry, progress can take several weeks. "It's sort of like watching a flower unfold," describes Dr. Freeman. "You
have to wait for each petal to open and then you have the whole picture of what you were waiting for all that time.
When someone who has been feeling miserable begins to feel like themselves again, it makes everything worthwhile."
Dr. Freeman met her husband, Dr. Arthur Freeman, when she hired him to do a conference in Fort Wayne. Dr. Freeman
jokes, "He got paid and received a wife as a bonus!"
Married a little over eight years, the Freemans are the best of friends and their relationship is both professionally and
personally rewarding. Since they are in the same profession, they are able to bounce ideas off of each other. And
when each has a chapter due, the other can finish it as a co-author.
Dr. Freeman has so much on her plate; she travels, teaches and writes, and is president elect of the National
Association for Addiction Professionals. Along with those activities, she also has eight grandchildren who get top
priority. At age 13, Dr. Freeman says she had plans to become a veterinarian. But at 20, she already had her first child
and was expecting another. "I didn't think I had what it took to be a professional," she says, "but this was 30 years
ago."
Today, she is proving her younger self wrong. She is content with her career choice and couldn't imagine doing
anything else. Dr. Freeman is humbled by her Top Docs recognition.
Feb 20, 2007 11:05 PM EST
Fort Wayne - WANE TV
Fort Wayne police have two men in custody Tuesday night in connection with a shooting early Tuesday morning.
Antwain Hines, 21, and Theodore Johnson, 22, both of Fort Wayne, were arrested early Tuesday night. They are both
in the Allen County Jail on preliminary charges of murder, felony murder, attempted murder and armed robbery. Police
say they will be formally charged in court Wednesday morning.
The shooting happened around 1:30 Tuesday morning at an apartment complex at 3325 McKinnie Ave. Police found
one victim dead at the scene, and another man in critical condition. Police say an argument over a relationship sparked
the fight. Police say they had suspects in mind soon after the shooting, and fast police work led to two arrests less
than 24 hours after the crime happened.
But there's a tragic twist in this story: Even before police could clean up the scene, another person died, but she
wasn't actually involved in the shooting. The woman was a relative of one of the shooting victims. When she saw the
scene, she collapsed, and died later at the hospital. Neither police nor the hospital are releasing the cause of her
death or how she's related to the victim, a psychiatric nurse tells Newschannel 15 the shock of hearing such terrible
news can actually kill someone.
"It use to be an old wives tale to die of a broken heart but researchers at Johns Hopkins began studying the
syndrome and learned there was such a thing as broken heart syndrome, it is called stress induced acute
cardiomyopathy" says psychiatric clinical nurse specialist Dr. Sharon Morgillo Freeman.
The symptoms mimic a heart attack. "In instances where there is a severe acute stressor, even like a surprise, there
is a burst of adrenaline. The adrenaline affects the heart in such a way that it stuns the heart," she says.
Elderly women are the most at risk. "Problems occurs mainly in women between the ages of 27 to 65. The average
age is between 60 to 63," said Morgillo Freeman.
Death from the condition is very rare, but not unheard of. Only extremely stressful situations, either emotional or
physical, can trigger it and it's not always fatal.
"In the majority of cases the person recovers," she says. "The heart isn't damaged and they go on to live normally."
Fort Wayne - WANE TV
Fort Wayne police have two men in custody Tuesday night in connection with a shooting early Tuesday morning.
Antwain Hines, 21, and Theodore Johnson, 22, both of Fort Wayne, were arrested early Tuesday night. They are both
in the Allen County Jail on preliminary charges of murder, felony murder, attempted murder and armed robbery. Police
say they will be formally charged in court Wednesday morning.
The shooting happened around 1:30 Tuesday morning at an apartment complex at 3325 McKinnie Ave. Police found
one victim dead at the scene, and another man in critical condition. Police say an argument over a relationship sparked
the fight. Police say they had suspects in mind soon after the shooting, and fast police work led to two arrests less
than 24 hours after the crime happened.
But there's a tragic twist in this story: Even before police could clean up the scene, another person died, but she
wasn't actually involved in the shooting. The woman was a relative of one of the shooting victims. When she saw the
scene, she collapsed, and died later at the hospital. Neither police nor the hospital are releasing the cause of her
death or how she's related to the victim, a psychiatric nurse tells Newschannel 15 the shock of hearing such terrible
news can actually kill someone.
"It use to be an old wives tale to die of a broken heart but researchers at Johns Hopkins began studying the
syndrome and learned there was such a thing as broken heart syndrome, it is called stress induced acute
cardiomyopathy" says psychiatric clinical nurse specialist Dr. Sharon Morgillo Freeman.
The symptoms mimic a heart attack. "In instances where there is a severe acute stressor, even like a surprise, there
is a burst of adrenaline. The adrenaline affects the heart in such a way that it stuns the heart," she says.
Elderly women are the most at risk. "Problems occurs mainly in women between the ages of 27 to 65. The average
age is between 60 to 63," said Morgillo Freeman.
Death from the condition is very rare, but not unheard of. Only extremely stressful situations, either emotional or
physical, can trigger it and it's not always fatal.
"In the majority of cases the person recovers," she says. "The heart isn't damaged and they go on to live normally."
NBC 33—Ft. Wayne, IN
A Patch for Passion? WISE33
Fort Wayne, IN - Lack of sexual desire: it's a problem that affects almost four out of every ten women. Check out Jessica
Toumani's special report on a potential remedy that's easy to "stick" to.
Low libido is one of the most common complaints sex therapist hear. With more moms working, many women these days are
simply too tired. But, now an invisible patch, developed in the UK promises to give women back 'that loving feeling.' So, we had two
Fort Wayne women put it to the test.
Couples who've lost that special spark often deprive themselves of the most intimate moments. Fort Wayne therapist Sharon
Freeman has spent years working with them and as of late, she says well... business isn't too bad.
"There's been a higher number of couples that come in and it's women exhaustion that's the issue, especially with new babies. The
first few years after a baby is born, it's exhaustion. That's the issue," says Sharon Freeman, a therapist who works with struggling
couples.
Exhaustion is exactly what Kristi O'Brien, a working mom in her early thirties, says she experiences. Within the past two years, her
sex drive has taken a nose dive, so much so, her husband suggested she get help.
" He had said something's not quite right, we've been married for 13 years, and you just don't seem like you used to. I think you
should go see your doctor, and I said 'oh no I don't think so'," says O'Brien.
And now Kristi and others may be able to solve their bedroom struggles without a trip to the doctor. It's called Scentuelle. It's a new
non-prescription patch worn on the skin promising to launch a women's libido into overdrive.
"Unlike, you know, pharmaceutical drugs, topical creams, pills that focus on climax or end result, scentuelle's designed to give you
that feeling all day long you know and keep that feeling of desire," says Linda Ryan, Vice President of the The Orion Company,
distributors of Scentuelle.
So how does it work? Well it never enters the bloodstream, instead after you place the patch on your wrist, you are directed to take
a whiff of it every hour. The combination of scent molecules on the patch are supposed to mimic dopamine.
Dopamine is one of the brain neurotransmitters that is the fun neurotransmitter. It's the neurotransmitter that gives us that feeling of
'ooh!',"says Freeman.
Amy Edmond, already feeling a lack of lust at only 29 years old, decided to give the patch a shot.
"I like the smell of it, when I first tried it out, the smell kind of made me light headed and I kind of just got different feelings," says
Edmond.
But, she says, those feelings did not last. Kristy, also desperate for a solution, wore the patch for a week.
"I really didn't notice anything different. I mean I put it on, I sniffed it every hour, sometimes two or three times an hour, just
thought 'okay, maybe I'm not doing it right'. The smell kind of it kind of nauseated me," says O'Brien.
Distributors say the patch doesn't work for everyone, but in previous studies, nearly half of the women reported feeling more
sensual and having more sexual fantasies.
The doctor's take?
"Some placebo effect that 'I think if I smell this I'm going to get turned on', hey, you know what, if it works, use it," says Freeman.
Dr. Freeman says she'd like to see more scientific research before she would actually reccomend the product. As for Kristi, she
says, it's unfortunate that for her Scentuelle didn't live up to its name.
" You know, they say women in their thirties are supposed to be in their prime and I keep waiting, I'm watching, I'm waiting," says
O'Brien.
Distributors say the patch can take anywhere from a week to a month before users can actually feel any sort of effect.
Two weeks from tonight, I'll be checking back with Amy and Kristi to see if this "passion patch" has done its job!
By: Jessica Toumani
More Stories from WISE33-TV
A Patch for Passion? WISE33
Fort Wayne, IN - Lack of sexual desire: it's a problem that affects almost four out of every ten women. Check out Jessica
Toumani's special report on a potential remedy that's easy to "stick" to.
Low libido is one of the most common complaints sex therapist hear. With more moms working, many women these days are
simply too tired. But, now an invisible patch, developed in the UK promises to give women back 'that loving feeling.' So, we had two
Fort Wayne women put it to the test.
Couples who've lost that special spark often deprive themselves of the most intimate moments. Fort Wayne therapist Sharon
Freeman has spent years working with them and as of late, she says well... business isn't too bad.
"There's been a higher number of couples that come in and it's women exhaustion that's the issue, especially with new babies. The
first few years after a baby is born, it's exhaustion. That's the issue," says Sharon Freeman, a therapist who works with struggling
couples.
Exhaustion is exactly what Kristi O'Brien, a working mom in her early thirties, says she experiences. Within the past two years, her
sex drive has taken a nose dive, so much so, her husband suggested she get help.
" He had said something's not quite right, we've been married for 13 years, and you just don't seem like you used to. I think you
should go see your doctor, and I said 'oh no I don't think so'," says O'Brien.
And now Kristi and others may be able to solve their bedroom struggles without a trip to the doctor. It's called Scentuelle. It's a new
non-prescription patch worn on the skin promising to launch a women's libido into overdrive.
"Unlike, you know, pharmaceutical drugs, topical creams, pills that focus on climax or end result, scentuelle's designed to give you
that feeling all day long you know and keep that feeling of desire," says Linda Ryan, Vice President of the The Orion Company,
distributors of Scentuelle.
So how does it work? Well it never enters the bloodstream, instead after you place the patch on your wrist, you are directed to take
a whiff of it every hour. The combination of scent molecules on the patch are supposed to mimic dopamine.
Dopamine is one of the brain neurotransmitters that is the fun neurotransmitter. It's the neurotransmitter that gives us that feeling of
'ooh!',"says Freeman.
Amy Edmond, already feeling a lack of lust at only 29 years old, decided to give the patch a shot.
"I like the smell of it, when I first tried it out, the smell kind of made me light headed and I kind of just got different feelings," says
Edmond.
But, she says, those feelings did not last. Kristy, also desperate for a solution, wore the patch for a week.
"I really didn't notice anything different. I mean I put it on, I sniffed it every hour, sometimes two or three times an hour, just
thought 'okay, maybe I'm not doing it right'. The smell kind of it kind of nauseated me," says O'Brien.
Distributors say the patch doesn't work for everyone, but in previous studies, nearly half of the women reported feeling more
sensual and having more sexual fantasies.
The doctor's take?
"Some placebo effect that 'I think if I smell this I'm going to get turned on', hey, you know what, if it works, use it," says Freeman.
Dr. Freeman says she'd like to see more scientific research before she would actually reccomend the product. As for Kristi, she
says, it's unfortunate that for her Scentuelle didn't live up to its name.
" You know, they say women in their thirties are supposed to be in their prime and I keep waiting, I'm watching, I'm waiting," says
O'Brien.
Distributors say the patch can take anywhere from a week to a month before users can actually feel any sort of effect.
Two weeks from tonight, I'll be checking back with Amy and Kristi to see if this "passion patch" has done its job!
By: Jessica Toumani
More Stories from WISE33-TV
Journal Gazette, The (Fort Wayne, IN)
December 21, 2005
Section: WEDNESDAY BUSINESS
Edition: Final Edition
Page: 1E
Cognitive therapy center puts city on cutting edge
Michael Schroeder The Journal Gazette
When Arthur Freeman and Sharon Morgillo Freeman decided to move to Fort Wayne from Philadelphia, they had thoughts of an early retirement with
maybe a modest therapy practice on the side.
Morgillo Freeman has some family and friends in Fort Wayne, which drew the couple back to the area.
But as the inside of Freeman's new office - seemingly wallpapered in his framed diplomas, certifications and other merits - silently attests, the pair may have
been overqualified for the break.
With encouragement from colleagues, they scrapped the idea of partial retirement. On Oct. 3, they opened the Center for Brief Therapy PC and the Freeman
Institute for Cognitive Therapy, just south of Dupont Road.
The center uses cognitive-behavioral therapy as one technique to address unproductive beliefs and behaviors, along with other psychotherapy approaches
and medication as necessary. Cognitive therapy helps people overcome emotional and behavioral problems from depression to drug abuse by addressing
unproductive beliefs and behaviors. For most problems, the approach typically lasts six to 12 weeks.
Already seeing around 50 patients, the couple has ambitious goals that further obliterate any pipe-dream notions of slowing down.
They plan to accept post-doctoral fellows into the Freeman Institute by fall of 2006. In addition, the couple plan to lead professional workshops, training
days and teach courses (likely including separate courses for non-professionals), while providing case consultation and, as needed, consultation to other
agencies.
"Our goal is to expand CBT (the practice of cognitive-behavioral therapy) in Indiana," said Freeman - a student of cognitive-behavioral therapy founding
father, Dr. Aaron Beck. Through the training institute, the couple hope to establish Fort Wayne as a major training site for cognitive therapists in the
Midwest.
Freeman said that the couple don't have a firm idea of how that might translate into dollars and cents for the center and declined to project future revenues.
As certified cognitive therapists, Freeman, 63, and Morgillo Freeman, 50, emphasize a collaborative and active approach to therapy. The couple use a
variety of psychological disciplines when working with patients.
Cognitive therapy seeks to help patients determine and modify unproductive beliefs and behaviors by first discerning how they process their environment.
The intent is to "help people understand the lenses through which people view the world," Freeman said.
For instance, someone who is addicted to drugs is likely to experience triggers that precede drug abuse. By identifying triggers and developing an action plan
to either deal with or avoid the triggers, a person may be able to overcome the addiction, explained Morgillo Freeman, who is also president-elect of the
National Association for Addiction Professionals.
While many therapeutic approaches first delve into why a person is the way they are, cognitive therapy focuses on what keeps them there, Freeman added.
Considered a cognitive therapy authority, Freeman has written 52 books on the subject, sharing bylines with colleagues including his wife.
Many are geared toward professional peers - such as "Clinical Applications of Cognitive Therapy," in its second edition, co-authored by James Pretzer,
Barbara Fleming and Karen M. Simon. Others, such as "The 10 Dumbest Mistakes Smart People Make and How to Avoid Them," co-written by Rose
DeWolf, are written for the layperson.
With strong credentials of their own, Freeman and Morgillo Freeman are outspoken that fellow therapists should be qualified in their respective disciplines.
The center's brochure says that although many therapists say they practice cognitive therapy, "only those therapists who meet the training and education
standards set by ACT and the National Institutes of Health should claim this expertise." ACT stands for Academy for Cognitive Therapy, of which
Freeman was a distinguished founding fellow in 1999.
According to ACT guidelines, Freeman and Morgillo Freeman are the only therapists in northern Indiana certified, trained and qualified to conduct and teach
cognitive therapy.
In addition, Freeman is one of several therapists in the state who is certified in clinical psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology, one
of only three therapists in Indiana board-certified in behavioral psychology, one of two certified in family psychology.
By law, a psychological professional must be licensed by the state and be designated as a health service provider in psychology to practice, but specialty
certification is not required.
Also licensed as a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist- and therefore allowed to prescribe medicine - Morgillo Freeman is the center's executive director.
Freeman is director of training and supervision. The center employs a licensed marriage and family therapist and plans to add a clinical supervisor by this
summer. Two collaborating psychiatrists work with the center.
"A broad base of knowledge and a very caring attitude" make Morgillo Freeman especially fit for the field, said Dr. Prevesh Rustagi, who works at Fort
Wayne Psychiatry PC. One of the collaborating psychiatrists, he has worked with Morgillo Freeman in the past, when she previously resided in Fort
Wayne. In 1997, she moved to Philadelphia, where she married Freeman.
"Lots of areas of psychotherapy can be very fuzzy, and she looks for the hard data," he said. He added that not everything can be quantified and that
treatment approaches should be customized, something he believes is not lost on Morgillo Freeman.
Freeman was similarly praised.
He is "probably one of the leading figures in cognitive therapy in the world," said Dr. Frank Dattilio. A faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry at
Harvard Medical School and prolific author, Dattilio has shared some bylines with his colleague and friend.
"The Midwest is lucky to have him," Dattilio said. He expected his friend to fare well in the new market.
"In my opinion, there's little competition because very few people carry that professional weight," he said.
Local psychological professionals said the more the merrier.
In terms of competitiveness, a new practice is not likely to threaten others, said Anna Black, owner and therapist at Black & Associates Counseling Services
in Fort Wayne. "Really what it means are there are new and more means for health and wellness."
Black contended that given the variety of issues people face and the myriad methodologies used to address those problems, new practices are ultimately
beneficial for everyone. She does not think that the Fort Wayne market is saturated.
Black integrates cognitive therapy, among other disciplines, into her practice. While she did not wish to comment directly on Freeman and Morgillo
Freeman's assessment of what qualifies for expertise in the area, she did agree that the term is overused in the field of psychology.
For their part, Freeman and Morgillo Freeman said in an e-mail that there are many skilled and talented therapists in Fort Wayne. "We do not see these
individuals as competitors nor do we wish to take an adversarial stance regarding the theoretical orientations represented by these individuals," they said.
As they settle into their new professional home, thoughts of retirement aren't likely to return anytime soon for the couple. Instead, with a new challenge in
front of them, they are moving full speed ahead.
"I enjoy seeing patients," Morgillo Freeman said. "I love what I do."
Mschroeder@jg.net
At a glance
Company: Center for Brief Therapy PC and the Freeman Institute for Cognitive Therapy
Address: 10319 Dawson's Creek Blvd., Suite J, Fort Wayne
Employees: 4, Sharon Morgillo Freeman, executive director; Arthur Freeman, director of training and supervision; licensed marriage and family therapist
Janet Eggiman (with her poodle, "Kotter," a registered therapy dog) and office manager Meg Duffey.
Services : The Center for Brief Therapy provides therapy for depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse problems, pain disorders, relationship issues,
trauma and a range of other psychological problems. In addition to psychotherapy techniques, medication and on-site drug testing are also available. The
Freeman Institute plans to open its doors post-doctoral fellows in the near future.
December 21, 2005
Section: WEDNESDAY BUSINESS
Edition: Final Edition
Page: 1E
Cognitive therapy center puts city on cutting edge
Michael Schroeder The Journal Gazette
When Arthur Freeman and Sharon Morgillo Freeman decided to move to Fort Wayne from Philadelphia, they had thoughts of an early retirement with
maybe a modest therapy practice on the side.
Morgillo Freeman has some family and friends in Fort Wayne, which drew the couple back to the area.
But as the inside of Freeman's new office - seemingly wallpapered in his framed diplomas, certifications and other merits - silently attests, the pair may have
been overqualified for the break.
With encouragement from colleagues, they scrapped the idea of partial retirement. On Oct. 3, they opened the Center for Brief Therapy PC and the Freeman
Institute for Cognitive Therapy, just south of Dupont Road.
The center uses cognitive-behavioral therapy as one technique to address unproductive beliefs and behaviors, along with other psychotherapy approaches
and medication as necessary. Cognitive therapy helps people overcome emotional and behavioral problems from depression to drug abuse by addressing
unproductive beliefs and behaviors. For most problems, the approach typically lasts six to 12 weeks.
Already seeing around 50 patients, the couple has ambitious goals that further obliterate any pipe-dream notions of slowing down.
They plan to accept post-doctoral fellows into the Freeman Institute by fall of 2006. In addition, the couple plan to lead professional workshops, training
days and teach courses (likely including separate courses for non-professionals), while providing case consultation and, as needed, consultation to other
agencies.
"Our goal is to expand CBT (the practice of cognitive-behavioral therapy) in Indiana," said Freeman - a student of cognitive-behavioral therapy founding
father, Dr. Aaron Beck. Through the training institute, the couple hope to establish Fort Wayne as a major training site for cognitive therapists in the
Midwest.
Freeman said that the couple don't have a firm idea of how that might translate into dollars and cents for the center and declined to project future revenues.
As certified cognitive therapists, Freeman, 63, and Morgillo Freeman, 50, emphasize a collaborative and active approach to therapy. The couple use a
variety of psychological disciplines when working with patients.
Cognitive therapy seeks to help patients determine and modify unproductive beliefs and behaviors by first discerning how they process their environment.
The intent is to "help people understand the lenses through which people view the world," Freeman said.
For instance, someone who is addicted to drugs is likely to experience triggers that precede drug abuse. By identifying triggers and developing an action plan
to either deal with or avoid the triggers, a person may be able to overcome the addiction, explained Morgillo Freeman, who is also president-elect of the
National Association for Addiction Professionals.
While many therapeutic approaches first delve into why a person is the way they are, cognitive therapy focuses on what keeps them there, Freeman added.
Considered a cognitive therapy authority, Freeman has written 52 books on the subject, sharing bylines with colleagues including his wife.
Many are geared toward professional peers - such as "Clinical Applications of Cognitive Therapy," in its second edition, co-authored by James Pretzer,
Barbara Fleming and Karen M. Simon. Others, such as "The 10 Dumbest Mistakes Smart People Make and How to Avoid Them," co-written by Rose
DeWolf, are written for the layperson.
With strong credentials of their own, Freeman and Morgillo Freeman are outspoken that fellow therapists should be qualified in their respective disciplines.
The center's brochure says that although many therapists say they practice cognitive therapy, "only those therapists who meet the training and education
standards set by ACT and the National Institutes of Health should claim this expertise." ACT stands for Academy for Cognitive Therapy, of which
Freeman was a distinguished founding fellow in 1999.
According to ACT guidelines, Freeman and Morgillo Freeman are the only therapists in northern Indiana certified, trained and qualified to conduct and teach
cognitive therapy.
In addition, Freeman is one of several therapists in the state who is certified in clinical psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology, one
of only three therapists in Indiana board-certified in behavioral psychology, one of two certified in family psychology.
By law, a psychological professional must be licensed by the state and be designated as a health service provider in psychology to practice, but specialty
certification is not required.
Also licensed as a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist- and therefore allowed to prescribe medicine - Morgillo Freeman is the center's executive director.
Freeman is director of training and supervision. The center employs a licensed marriage and family therapist and plans to add a clinical supervisor by this
summer. Two collaborating psychiatrists work with the center.
"A broad base of knowledge and a very caring attitude" make Morgillo Freeman especially fit for the field, said Dr. Prevesh Rustagi, who works at Fort
Wayne Psychiatry PC. One of the collaborating psychiatrists, he has worked with Morgillo Freeman in the past, when she previously resided in Fort
Wayne. In 1997, she moved to Philadelphia, where she married Freeman.
"Lots of areas of psychotherapy can be very fuzzy, and she looks for the hard data," he said. He added that not everything can be quantified and that
treatment approaches should be customized, something he believes is not lost on Morgillo Freeman.
Freeman was similarly praised.
He is "probably one of the leading figures in cognitive therapy in the world," said Dr. Frank Dattilio. A faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry at
Harvard Medical School and prolific author, Dattilio has shared some bylines with his colleague and friend.
"The Midwest is lucky to have him," Dattilio said. He expected his friend to fare well in the new market.
"In my opinion, there's little competition because very few people carry that professional weight," he said.
Local psychological professionals said the more the merrier.
In terms of competitiveness, a new practice is not likely to threaten others, said Anna Black, owner and therapist at Black & Associates Counseling Services
in Fort Wayne. "Really what it means are there are new and more means for health and wellness."
Black contended that given the variety of issues people face and the myriad methodologies used to address those problems, new practices are ultimately
beneficial for everyone. She does not think that the Fort Wayne market is saturated.
Black integrates cognitive therapy, among other disciplines, into her practice. While she did not wish to comment directly on Freeman and Morgillo
Freeman's assessment of what qualifies for expertise in the area, she did agree that the term is overused in the field of psychology.
For their part, Freeman and Morgillo Freeman said in an e-mail that there are many skilled and talented therapists in Fort Wayne. "We do not see these
individuals as competitors nor do we wish to take an adversarial stance regarding the theoretical orientations represented by these individuals," they said.
As they settle into their new professional home, thoughts of retirement aren't likely to return anytime soon for the couple. Instead, with a new challenge in
front of them, they are moving full speed ahead.
"I enjoy seeing patients," Morgillo Freeman said. "I love what I do."
Mschroeder@jg.net
At a glance
Company: Center for Brief Therapy PC and the Freeman Institute for Cognitive Therapy
Address: 10319 Dawson's Creek Blvd., Suite J, Fort Wayne
Employees: 4, Sharon Morgillo Freeman, executive director; Arthur Freeman, director of training and supervision; licensed marriage and family therapist
Janet Eggiman (with her poodle, "Kotter," a registered therapy dog) and office manager Meg Duffey.
Services : The Center for Brief Therapy provides therapy for depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse problems, pain disorders, relationship issues,
trauma and a range of other psychological problems. In addition to psychotherapy techniques, medication and on-site drug testing are also available. The
Freeman Institute plans to open its doors post-doctoral fellows in the near future.
| Center for Brief Therapy, P.C. In The News |
 |  |  |  |  |
Dr. Sharon Morgillo Freeman was surprised to be contacted as an expert by the Associate Producer of "The
Doctors", a spinoff of the "Dr. Phil" hit T.V. CBS series the last week of August, 2008. Dr. Sharon was flown out to
Hollywood, California where she consulted with Dr. Lisa Masterson, the shows OB/GYN about a woman who had some
very interesting symptoms! The Show's producer, Judith Sanchez and Dr. Masterson wanted an expert to evaluate
the woman for this rare condition and contacted Dr. Sharon Freeman. Dr. Sharon was then a "surprise" expert guest
on the show offering her opinion and assistance on live national television. "Although we don't know when this
episode will air, I was excited about the opportunity to do some teaching regarding women's health care for a national
audience" said Dr. Sharon Morgillo Freeman. The new series airs beginning September 8th, 2008.
The show aired October 28th, 2008. Click here for a synopsis.
Doctors", a spinoff of the "Dr. Phil" hit T.V. CBS series the last week of August, 2008. Dr. Sharon was flown out to
Hollywood, California where she consulted with Dr. Lisa Masterson, the shows OB/GYN about a woman who had some
very interesting symptoms! The Show's producer, Judith Sanchez and Dr. Masterson wanted an expert to evaluate
the woman for this rare condition and contacted Dr. Sharon Freeman. Dr. Sharon was then a "surprise" expert guest
on the show offering her opinion and assistance on live national television. "Although we don't know when this
episode will air, I was excited about the opportunity to do some teaching regarding women's health care for a national
audience" said Dr. Sharon Morgillo Freeman. The new series airs beginning September 8th, 2008.
The show aired October 28th, 2008. Click here for a synopsis.
Article published Dec 31, 2009
Hoosiers unhappy
Poll: We love our work, home, but need health, more laughs
Indiana just can’t catch a break.
It’s the 11th-fattest state in the union (true story), No. 7 when calculating the chances that your car will be buried in snow once a winter
(completely made-up) and No. 45 in well-being (completely legitimate).
Put another way, it’s sixth on the list of poor-being.
The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index surveys 1,000 people 350 days a year in six categories that add up to total well-being, and
at the halfway point of 2009, Indiana ranked 45th – the same as it did in 2008, when the surveys started.
2009’s final ranking will be known at the end of January, says Dan Witters, research director of the index, and Indiana is poised to
stay exactly where it’s been for 18 months.
“As far as short-term impact on well-being, the economy certainly can have a substantial role in influencing how people evaluate their
lives yesterday, today and in the future,” Witters says. “To that end, if you look at the trends in the well-being index and overlay
everything that was going on – with the economy hemorrhaging jobs, the stock market plummeting – and trend it in ’08, it moves
pretty comfortably with changes in economic conditions.”
Those rankings don’t surprise Rich Davis, president of the Downtown Improvement District.
He wonders whether it’s the weather – “People that are exposed to sunlight more have a lot more satisfaction that derives from being
in a better climate,” he says – or maybe it’s efforts put forth by cities to make them more pedestrian-friendly. He mentions Seattle
and Portland, Ore., as two cities that are often gray and rainy but have bikeways and walkways that encourage people to enjoy the
outdoors. (Washington and Oregon ranked 13th and 28th, respectively.)
“I think part of health and well-being is you have an environment that promotes and encourages a healthy lifestyle,” Davis says. “If
you look at international indexes of happiness, you’ll find the Danish people rank pretty high on that, and I tell you: You can’t find a
cloudier, damper, more drizzlier country than Denmark most of the year. They get out and get on the bikeways, and they’re a nation
that likes to be out-of-doors.”
Witters went over the six points on the well-being index, and where Indiana falls on each. Here is a sampling of what each section
evaluates.1. Life evaluation
Did you have a good day today? Did you have a good day yesterday?
Respondents answered on a scale of zero to 10, where zero is the worst possible, no good, very bad day, and 10 is angels-singing,
confetti-streaming happiness. Indiana? No. 45.
Because those questions are so specific – they ask about particular days instead of a week, month or longer – Sharon Morgillo
Freeman questions their validity. Morgillo Freeman, president of Center for Brief Therapy in Fort Wayne, says the idea of having a
good day is like a stock market graph: Things go up and down over time and, depending on when you take a reading, some
important data might be overlooked. It takes a longer period of time to see a trend.
Plus, there are too many other factors that can affect a good day.
“I don’t know if there was something going on in the nation on a particular day,” she says. “Maybe large manufacturing plants closed,
or there was a series of layoffs, or it was close to tax day. Given just a single individual point, I can’t rely on that as being an accurate
evaluation of well-being for the state.”2. Emotional health
Did you smile or laugh a lot yesterday? Did you learn anything new? Did you have a worry-free, sad-free and stress-free day?
These questions all have yes/no responses. Indiana ranked No. 45.
Morgillo Freeman points out the same issues here as she did in the life-evaluation question: Data are going to be sensitive to what’s
happening on that particular day, rather than a longer time-frame.3. Physical health
How tall are you? How much do you weigh? Did you have a cold yesterday? Do you have a headache? Are you energetic?
This is what most people think of when they consider “well-being,” Witters says. Gallup asks these questions to calculate body mass
indexes and determine obesity. It’s a category where many states bounce around; Indiana ranked 43rd.
That’s about where Lou Ann Binkley, a registered nurse and certified lifestyle-management coach at Dupont Hospital, would have
figured Indiana would fall.
The trick to improving one’s physical health is to take charge of it. Traditionally, people will come to Binkley for help losing weight
after Jan. 1; this year, she has seen an influx of people in December.
“I just appreciate them acknowledging (that) lifestyle changes may have dramatic effect,” she says. “Lifestyle changes can affect
major areas of disease and death in our culture.”4. Healthy behavior
Do you smoke? Did you eat healthily yesterday? In the last week, how many days did you exercise for 30 minutes or more? Did you
eat five or more servings of fruits or veggies yesterday?
“Where’s Indiana?” Binkley says.
“No. 47.”
“God bless us.”
It’s said with a resigned chuckle. She’s not so surprised by this stat, either.
In 2008, 66 percent of Americans were overweight or obese. If trends continue, that will be 86 percent to 90 percent by 2030, says
Binkley, quoting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lifestyle changes can alleviate longer-term health issues, including obesity – she cites statistics from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention showing that major lifestyle changes can cause a huge positive response in 70 percent or more cancer and heart
disease cases, and stroke and diabetes patients.
She speaks of another survey that named Mississippi the fattest state in the Union, and she recalls some of the changes made to
better its ranking. Binkley quotes Gabrial Uwaifo, an endocrinologist at the University of Mississippi: “Just the same way we finally got
people to understand that the Marlboro Man looked good but all that smoking wasn’t good for him and will kill him eventually, that’s
the sort of public health onslaught I think needs to be put out regarding food.”
So Mississippi started to make obvious changes – something Indiana should do, too, Binkley says.5. Work environment
Are you satisfied with your job? Do you use your strengths at the workplace? Does your supervisor treat you like a boss or a partner?
Is your work environment trusting and open?
Finally, Indiana catches a break – it ranks 15th in this category.
For Indiana to rank so high in one category and not the other five might seem like a fluke, but Binkley wonders whether this is based
on the country’s employment situation: For people who have jobs, they’re likely to be more optimistic about things.
Plus, there’s what Binkley calls the Midwest work ethic: optimistic and encouraging.
“When we do have jobs, we take them seriously, and we do our best,” she says. “I think that’s probably very helpful.”6. Basic access
Do you have access to food, shelter, health care?
This section is based on 13 factors, and while Indiana’s score isn’t as high as its “work environment” ranking, it’s still better than its
average – 32nd.
This slightly higher ranking is in line with other surveys, says Davis of the Downtown Improvement District. He speaks of a poll that
found that satisfaction with apartment living in Fort Wayne, for example, was one of the highest in the country, which indicates people
have a wide range of housing.
The poll – from ApartmentRatings.com, which calls itself the largest and most popular community of renters – ranked Fort Wayne No.
1 in renter satisfaction of the 100 most populous U.S. cities.
These kinds of questions – availability of reasonably priced housing, for example – affect some of the other aspects covered by the
survey’s six sections, says Morgillo Freeman, the psychologist. Emotional health, for example, is going to rely heavily on ease of
access of various services.
“If I am laid off, my home is in foreclosure, I can’t get health care – happiness is not going to be one of the higher emotions that
someone’s going to be feeling,” she says.
jyouhana@jg.net
Hoosiers unhappy
Poll: We love our work, home, but need health, more laughs
Indiana just can’t catch a break.
It’s the 11th-fattest state in the union (true story), No. 7 when calculating the chances that your car will be buried in snow once a winter
(completely made-up) and No. 45 in well-being (completely legitimate).
Put another way, it’s sixth on the list of poor-being.
The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index surveys 1,000 people 350 days a year in six categories that add up to total well-being, and
at the halfway point of 2009, Indiana ranked 45th – the same as it did in 2008, when the surveys started.
2009’s final ranking will be known at the end of January, says Dan Witters, research director of the index, and Indiana is poised to
stay exactly where it’s been for 18 months.
“As far as short-term impact on well-being, the economy certainly can have a substantial role in influencing how people evaluate their
lives yesterday, today and in the future,” Witters says. “To that end, if you look at the trends in the well-being index and overlay
everything that was going on – with the economy hemorrhaging jobs, the stock market plummeting – and trend it in ’08, it moves
pretty comfortably with changes in economic conditions.”
Those rankings don’t surprise Rich Davis, president of the Downtown Improvement District.
He wonders whether it’s the weather – “People that are exposed to sunlight more have a lot more satisfaction that derives from being
in a better climate,” he says – or maybe it’s efforts put forth by cities to make them more pedestrian-friendly. He mentions Seattle
and Portland, Ore., as two cities that are often gray and rainy but have bikeways and walkways that encourage people to enjoy the
outdoors. (Washington and Oregon ranked 13th and 28th, respectively.)
“I think part of health and well-being is you have an environment that promotes and encourages a healthy lifestyle,” Davis says. “If
you look at international indexes of happiness, you’ll find the Danish people rank pretty high on that, and I tell you: You can’t find a
cloudier, damper, more drizzlier country than Denmark most of the year. They get out and get on the bikeways, and they’re a nation
that likes to be out-of-doors.”
Witters went over the six points on the well-being index, and where Indiana falls on each. Here is a sampling of what each section
evaluates.1. Life evaluation
Did you have a good day today? Did you have a good day yesterday?
Respondents answered on a scale of zero to 10, where zero is the worst possible, no good, very bad day, and 10 is angels-singing,
confetti-streaming happiness. Indiana? No. 45.
Because those questions are so specific – they ask about particular days instead of a week, month or longer – Sharon Morgillo
Freeman questions their validity. Morgillo Freeman, president of Center for Brief Therapy in Fort Wayne, says the idea of having a
good day is like a stock market graph: Things go up and down over time and, depending on when you take a reading, some
important data might be overlooked. It takes a longer period of time to see a trend.
Plus, there are too many other factors that can affect a good day.
“I don’t know if there was something going on in the nation on a particular day,” she says. “Maybe large manufacturing plants closed,
or there was a series of layoffs, or it was close to tax day. Given just a single individual point, I can’t rely on that as being an accurate
evaluation of well-being for the state.”2. Emotional health
Did you smile or laugh a lot yesterday? Did you learn anything new? Did you have a worry-free, sad-free and stress-free day?
These questions all have yes/no responses. Indiana ranked No. 45.
Morgillo Freeman points out the same issues here as she did in the life-evaluation question: Data are going to be sensitive to what’s
happening on that particular day, rather than a longer time-frame.3. Physical health
How tall are you? How much do you weigh? Did you have a cold yesterday? Do you have a headache? Are you energetic?
This is what most people think of when they consider “well-being,” Witters says. Gallup asks these questions to calculate body mass
indexes and determine obesity. It’s a category where many states bounce around; Indiana ranked 43rd.
That’s about where Lou Ann Binkley, a registered nurse and certified lifestyle-management coach at Dupont Hospital, would have
figured Indiana would fall.
The trick to improving one’s physical health is to take charge of it. Traditionally, people will come to Binkley for help losing weight
after Jan. 1; this year, she has seen an influx of people in December.
“I just appreciate them acknowledging (that) lifestyle changes may have dramatic effect,” she says. “Lifestyle changes can affect
major areas of disease and death in our culture.”4. Healthy behavior
Do you smoke? Did you eat healthily yesterday? In the last week, how many days did you exercise for 30 minutes or more? Did you
eat five or more servings of fruits or veggies yesterday?
“Where’s Indiana?” Binkley says.
“No. 47.”
“God bless us.”
It’s said with a resigned chuckle. She’s not so surprised by this stat, either.
In 2008, 66 percent of Americans were overweight or obese. If trends continue, that will be 86 percent to 90 percent by 2030, says
Binkley, quoting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lifestyle changes can alleviate longer-term health issues, including obesity – she cites statistics from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention showing that major lifestyle changes can cause a huge positive response in 70 percent or more cancer and heart
disease cases, and stroke and diabetes patients.
She speaks of another survey that named Mississippi the fattest state in the Union, and she recalls some of the changes made to
better its ranking. Binkley quotes Gabrial Uwaifo, an endocrinologist at the University of Mississippi: “Just the same way we finally got
people to understand that the Marlboro Man looked good but all that smoking wasn’t good for him and will kill him eventually, that’s
the sort of public health onslaught I think needs to be put out regarding food.”
So Mississippi started to make obvious changes – something Indiana should do, too, Binkley says.5. Work environment
Are you satisfied with your job? Do you use your strengths at the workplace? Does your supervisor treat you like a boss or a partner?
Is your work environment trusting and open?
Finally, Indiana catches a break – it ranks 15th in this category.
For Indiana to rank so high in one category and not the other five might seem like a fluke, but Binkley wonders whether this is based
on the country’s employment situation: For people who have jobs, they’re likely to be more optimistic about things.
Plus, there’s what Binkley calls the Midwest work ethic: optimistic and encouraging.
“When we do have jobs, we take them seriously, and we do our best,” she says. “I think that’s probably very helpful.”6. Basic access
Do you have access to food, shelter, health care?
This section is based on 13 factors, and while Indiana’s score isn’t as high as its “work environment” ranking, it’s still better than its
average – 32nd.
This slightly higher ranking is in line with other surveys, says Davis of the Downtown Improvement District. He speaks of a poll that
found that satisfaction with apartment living in Fort Wayne, for example, was one of the highest in the country, which indicates people
have a wide range of housing.
The poll – from ApartmentRatings.com, which calls itself the largest and most popular community of renters – ranked Fort Wayne No.
1 in renter satisfaction of the 100 most populous U.S. cities.
These kinds of questions – availability of reasonably priced housing, for example – affect some of the other aspects covered by the
survey’s six sections, says Morgillo Freeman, the psychologist. Emotional health, for example, is going to rely heavily on ease of
access of various services.
“If I am laid off, my home is in foreclosure, I can’t get health care – happiness is not going to be one of the higher emotions that
someone’s going to be feeling,” she says.
jyouhana@jg.net